Five Counties Bringing Inclusive Trick-or-Treating Back to Peterborough

By Scott Arnold

Halloween can be difficult for kids who face accessibility or sensory challenges, but Five Counties Children’s Centre is once again creating a trick-or-treating experience where everyone can take part.

Five Counties Children’s Centre is bringing All-o-ween back to Peterborough on October 27th, giving kids of all abilities a chance to enjoy an accessible and sensory-friendly Halloween experience. (photo courtesy of five counties

All-o-ween returns to Five Counties in Peterborough on Tuesday, October 27th from 4pm to 7pm at 872 Dutton Rd.

The indoor Halloween event is open to kids who currently receive services from Five Counties, those who have received services in the past or those currently on a wait list, along with their siblings and families.

Kids can dress up, wear Halloween colours or simply come as they are. They’ll be able to visit decorated doors throughout the Centre to collect treats and toys, with crafts and other family-friendly activities also available.

Families are given assigned arrival times when they register to help keep the event from becoming too busy or overwhelming.

“The best part of All-o-ween is seeing the absolute joy on the faces of kids and families, because they get to enjoy a relaxed and inclusive trick-or-treating experience,” says Hayley Hodges, Client and Family Experience Lead at Five Counties and the event’s organizer.

For Hodges, the event is personal.

As someone who uses a wheelchair, she remembers how difficult trick-or-treating could be when she was a child because many homes had stairs. She would have to rely on her siblings to collect candy for her.

“Halloween is one of those days or festivities that every child should be able to experience and enjoy,” Hodges says.

More than 200 children and youth took part in All-o-ween events at Five Counties locations last year.

Similar events will also be held in Cobourg on Wednesday, October 28th and Lindsay on Thursday, October 29th.

Registration is required. Families can book a spot at fivecounties.on.ca/alloween or by calling 1-888-779-9916, ext. 215.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Listen With Love Concerts Invite Peterborough to Rethink What Belonging Looks Like for Children

By Scott Arnold

Two October concerts will use music, storytelling and one local family’s experience to start a conversation about inclusion and what it means for every child to feel like they belong.

Five Counties Children’s Centre is hosting Listen With Love concerts on October 20th and 21st in Peterborough, featuring staff member Hannah Bailey sharing her family’s inclusion journey through music, storytelling and lived experience. (photo provided by Five Counties Children Centre)

Five Counties Children’s Centre is bringing its new Listen With Love initiative to Peterborough this October, with two concerts designed to get families, community members and early childhood educators thinking differently about inclusion.

The concerts will tell the story of Peterborough mom Hannah Bailey, who is raising her son Max, who has a rare genetic condition. Through music and storytelling, Bailey will share her family’s experience navigating Max’s heart condition, rare genetic diagnosis and childhood apraxia of speech, and how that experience changed the way they understood communication, behaviour, regulation and belonging.

There will be two opportunities to take part.

The Tuesday, October 20th concert is open to families and members of the general public who want to learn more about inclusion and Bailey’s journey.

The Wednesday, October 21st concert is aimed at early childhood educators in the Peterborough area. It also falls on Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, making the evening both a celebration of the profession and an opportunity to look at inclusion from the perspectives of a parent and ECE.

Doors open at 5:30pm, with both concerts beginning at 7pm. Pre-registration is encouraged for both events.

The concerts will also introduce Roots of Belonging, a new Five Counties initiative that will begin in early 2027 with a training and learning series for local ECE leaders.

The goal is to help child-care settings build more inclusive environments for children and families, including by looking at policies and practices that may unintentionally create barriers to participation.

Five Counties says the initiative will encourage ECE leaders to consider accessibility and inclusion proactively, rather than waiting until a child with a disability arrives before making changes.

At the heart of Listen With Love is a simple message: creating spaces where children can belong as they are and where adults approach differences with curiosity, connection and understanding.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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A Night of Fashion for a Good Cause: Couture for Kids Returns in October in Support of Five Counties

By Scott Arnold

A Lindsay fashion show is returning next week, giving people a chance to enjoy a night out while helping support treatment services for local kids and youth.

Couture for Kids returns to Lindsay on October 1st, bringing local fashion, fun and fundraising together in support of Five Counties Children’s Centre (photo courtesy of five counties children’s CEntre)

Five Counties Children’s Centre will host its third annual Couture for Kids fundraiser on Thursday, October 1st at Celebrations in Lindsay.

Doors open at 6pm, with the fashion show getting underway at 7pm.

The evening will feature clothing from seven local retailers: Brittany N Bros, Bonita Clothing & Co, Cathy Allan Ladieswear, John G’s, Homethreads Boutique, Nisbett’s Clothiers and The Lingerie Loft.

Along with the fashion show, guests can take part in raffle prizes and the Pass the Purse activity, with light snacks and a cash bar also available.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or through participating retailers.

The fundraiser was first held in 2024 and has since become an annual fall event in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

More importantly, the money raised goes directly toward treatment services for local children and youth through Five Counties. Last year, 1,471 children and youth in Kawartha Lakes received services from the organization.

The fundraiser also supports efforts to reduce wait times, helping children access the services they need sooner.

Five Counties says the event has grown through support from local retailers, sponsors, volunteers and the community, with this year’s event once again bringing fashion and fundraising together for local kids and families.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.